Freeminds, Inc.

Freeminds, Inc. at a glance

What: A secular educational organization that aims to educate the public about the methods that all cults use, with a specific focus on Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society — the main legal entity used by Jehovah’s Witnesses to direct, administer and develop doctrines for the religion.

Perpective:“We are a secular institution that just happens to have many evangelical Christians on board, a Greek Orthodox and a Catholic, as well as one “gay” blogger and four or five atheist or agnostic bloggers. With the exception of our Treasurer, they are not members of our Board of Directors. Freeminds.org is a PORTAL. Think of it as a secular online newspaper that addresses many types of people and allows for dissent of thought on many issues. Our concern is helping abused people out of the Watchtower, not ‘saving souls.'”[1]

Founded: 1992, as a non-profit educational organization.

On its website Free Minds, Inc. says

We are people from across the world standing up for humanity and human rights. We expose spiritual abuse from high control religious groups, particularly Jehovah’s Witnesses, whatever their claims to higher authority may be. Our purpose is educate the public about such movements, provide an online support network where everyone is welcome to contribute and to enable a safe non-judgmental place for people to find healing and comfort and the community of their fellows.– Source: About Freeminds, Inc. Last accessed: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 – 11:37 PM CET

Theologically Jehovah’s Witnesses, represented by their legal entity The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, is considered a cult of Christianity. Sociologically the movement has many cult-like aspects as well.

Countercult

While Freemind, Inc. is not a countercult organization (it presents itself instead as a secular organization), the Christians among its members demonstrate a good understanding of sound Christian doctrine, and use it as one approach to dealing with the teachings and practices of, primarily, Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Randall Watters

Randall Watters is the founder of Free Minds, Inc. (formerly Bethel Ministries) and has been engaged in the work of freeing people from the mind control bondage of cults for the last twenty years.

Randall was a Jehovah’s Witness for eight years, from 1972 to 1980, and served as an elder and factory overseer at the Watchtower headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. He left the organization by way of resignation in 1980, became a Christian and served as a pastor for a number of years, most recently at the now-defunct Hope Chapel of West Manhattan. Leaving the pastorate and organizational ties to focus on cults and exit-counseling only, Randall formed Free Minds, Inc. as a non-profit educational organization in 1992, with the goal of educating the public about mind control and the danger of cults.– Source: From the FAQ in an older version of the Freeminds website, as archived by the Internet Archive.

In his testimony, Watters writes

The crux of the matter is this: The JW is not allowed to interpret the Bible, but must rely on the ever-changing interpretations of 14 men in New York, none of whom are Greek or Hebrew scholars, and have no business translating a Bible, let alone controlling the lives of millions of people.

Christianity is meant to be an experiential faith. You come to Christ as your mediator, ask forgiveness for your sins, and you receive the “new birth” (John 3:3-7). Christianity is God working through man, not man working for God. When I realized this in 1979 after a study of Romans and Galatians, it soon became obvious that “grace” is the key to a life in Christ.– Source: Testimony of Randall Watters

Multimedia

Publications

The Free Minds Journal Published three times a year, The Free Minds Journal reports up-to-date events inside the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah’s Witnesses), and articles and experiences that can help a person recover from this religion, and help for family members of those trapped in its thought and behavior control.